Masbate booters surge into lead

Masbate waxed hot from start to finish to rout Albay-Legazpi’s Pag-Asa National High, 4-1, yesterday and assume solo leadership in the Luzon finals of the Coke Go-for-Goal under-16 football tournament at the Philsports field in Pasig City.

Represented by Masbate Comprehensive National High School, the Masbate booters surged to a 2-0 halftime lead and never looked back en route to their second straight win in the five-team, one-round tourney.

National Capital Region’s Ateneo de Manila boys bounced back from a shock 0-1 loss to Masbate by crushing Camarines Norte’s Vinzons Pilot High, 9-0, in the other match.

Patrick Garcia scored a hat-trick, while Samuel Wilson and Regino Gamboa added two each to power NCR to victory.

Garcia struck in the 50th, 52nd and 57th minutes. Wilson scored in the 34th and 97th while Gamboa delivered in the 43rd and 60th.

Paolo Balatbat and Ken Noda accounted for the two other NCR markers.

Action continues today with Camarines Norte facing Albay-Legazpi at 8 a.m. and NCR meeting Rizal’s Roosevelt College (Rodriguez Campus) at 10 a.m.

The top team after the single-round competition will bag the title and earn an automatic slot in the national finals set Feb. 6-10 in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo. The runner-up will also advance to the national finals, where the top two teams from Visayas and Mindanao will also see action.